Missing money an issue in Jackson Co. clerk campaign

County cash that went missing four years ago has become a campaign issue in Mickey Mortimer's battle for the clerk's seat against incumbent Amanda Riska in the August primary.

Mortimer brought up the incident involving his opponent this weekend in e-mails and fliers that were circulated through the county, asserting that taxpayer dollars were "Risky with Riska."

More than $1,300 in cash and about $480 in checks went missing in November 2004 after Riska, then assistant deputy chief of the Circuit Court Clerk's Office, left the money in a locked bank bag in her unlocked desk drawer, acccording to a police report. The key to the bag was in one of her unlocked desk drawers in an unlocked office.

"Almost $2,000 in taxpayer money is gone because of a lack of judgment and poor money handling," Mortimer said, who was clerk from 1992 to 1998.

Several employees were questioned about the missing money, but no suspects were ever named. The case was closed after a brief investigation due to a lack of leads, according to the police report.

Riska said she is not surprised that Mortimer brought up the incident during the election.

"People are upset and disappointed that it's going to this level, but I'm not going to get negative," she said.